What are the 5 software requirements?
When discussing “software requirements,” we typically refer to the detailed descriptions of the system’s functions, services, and operational constraints. They specify what the software should do to meet the needs of its users and stakeholders. Requirements are vital for the development process, as they provide direction and criteria for validation.
There are various ways to categorize software requirements, but one common categorization breaks them down into five primary types:
- Functional Requirements:
- These are the primary requirements that define the fundamental actions that a system must perform. They describe what the software should do in terms of processing inputs and producing outputs.
- Examples: “The software should allow users to log in using a username and password,” “The system must generate monthly reports,” etc.
- Non-functional Requirements (often referred to as “Quality Attributes”):
- These requirements define how a system performs its functions, rather than the functions themselves. They are related to user satisfaction and describe how well the system does its job.
- Examples include performance (e.g., “The system should handle 10,000 concurrent users”), security (e.g., “User data should be encrypted”), usability (e.g., “The system should have a user-friendly interface”), and reliability (e.g., “The system should have 99.99% uptime”).
- User Interface (UI) Requirements:
- These are requirements related to the look and feel of the software from the user’s perspective. They deal with aspects such as layouts, visual elements, workflows, and interaction patterns.
- Examples: “The login button should be green and located in the top-right corner,” “The application should follow Material Design guidelines.”
- Data Requirements:
- These pertain to the management and manipulation of data as well as data-related constraints. They deal with how data is captured, stored, retrieved, and deleted.
- Examples include specifying which data should be stored in a database (e.g., “The system should store user profiles, including name, email, and profile picture”), or constraints on data (e.g., “Email addresses should be unique for each user”).
- Hardware and Software Constraints:
- These requirements specify the operational context in which the software application will run. They relate to both hardware and other software systems.
- Examples: “The application should run on Windows 10 and above,” “The system should be compatible with MySQL 5.7 databases,” “The mobile app should support both Android and iOS.”
Collecting, analyzing, and documenting these requirements is a critical step in the software development lifecycle. The clearer and more comprehensive these requirements are, the smoother the development process will be, and the more likely the final product will meet the stakeholders’ expectations.
